juiart
patreon
Pausing billing in January + Rewriting Ch.105
🕑 Added 2023-12-21 08:48:48 +0000 UTCHi Everyone,
First and foremost, I will be pausing Patreon billing in January. Which means: if you are an active Patron, you will not be charged on January 1, 2024, and will continue to have access to my Patreon posts, including ones to be published in January. To maintain this access you must have an active membership, and if you choose to upgrade your membership tiers, you will still be charged the difference between your current tier and upgraded tier. Any new Patrons who join in January will still be charged when they sign up.
This is not a hiatus, but more so because I am very behind on chapters, and so what was originally planned for December: 3 regular chapter updates + 1 NSFW update, will now be distributed Dec 2023 through Jan 2024, if that makes sense! Basically one month's worth of rewards given out in two months, hence why I'm pausing billing in January.
I apologize for the grand delay of things, perhaps some of it is caused by the store relaunch, but a lot actually comes from a writing slump. To Patrons who have read Ch.105, I apologize as I have decided to rewrite the second half of that chapter, and because I have never rewritten or in other words taken back a chapter that's already been published, it took me a long while to work out if this is something I really want to do, and I came to the conclusion that I do want it rewritten.
The Reason for Rewriting Ch.105:
In the chapter, I mention the picture book "The Missing Piece" (1976) by Shel Silverstein by its title, and while book titles are permitted by copyright law, I felt for later chapters, if I were to use the book for the narrative intent I was aiming for, I would need to quote some quotes and if my characters were to hold the book in their own hands, I would further need to use its cover. All of these require asking the publisher and estate for permission, which I did, and they did respond! And they were really lovely to speak to, but it's been an exhausting back and forth process because (1) the nature of an ongoing serialized comic with a tight publishing schedule makes it difficult for both parties to expect how the work will be reused and reproduced, (2) permissions may be time-limited or limited by print run if I do print books, (3) since my work is licensed in Korean I would further need to seek world rights, and (4) they just take a very long time to respond, understandably so in the publishing realm.
All of this, has made me think this is just not worth it. As I mentioned, the nature of serialized comics means I am writing as I go, even if I have an overarching plan for the plot. Referencing the picture book was something that came much more recently in that process, so I started the permissions process late and am now realizing I don't want to go forth with it, even if permissions are granted. It's just not worth having a plot point hinge on a decision that I have little control over, and I think I can do better than that as a writer.
This whole process has really made me think about my own abilities as a writer, and perhaps it's clouded my mind as I started to think I wasn't equipped to tell a story if I could only tell it through the lens of another piece of literature. I entered a writing slump and was only able to get out of it after rereading everything I have ever written, as advised by a dear writer friend of mine. It was during this that I realized I have not reread my work for so long, perhaps due to shame or embarrassment. And in that process, while I did feel a lot of cringe and many things regrettable, I also saw where my strengths lie as a writer, and that I have a whole story and two characters who've given me so much to work with, that I no longer felt the need to fuss over following certain plot points with such rigidity that I lose sight of what I already have.
For the past 2 weeks, this has been going on in my mind as I tried to rewrite, and write, and write... I apologize for causing worry as I know some of you have asked how I'm doing. Side tangent - I've also been getting you guys' comments and messages on receiving your zines and that really, really warms my heart, and has been a huge motivator as I worked through this writing slump!!!
I will be back hopefully end of this week with the rewritten chapter, and hopefully next week with a new chapter! And with that, there'll be one more chapter + new pages for the ongoing NSFW comic, all posted in January. Please look forward to them!
On Webtoons, 3 chapters are posted in December and it will go on hiatus in January👍
Thank you all again for your support and understanding.
x, Jui
Comments
林苔雨
Please believe in yourself, you are a very good writer! I am very glad to know you through your works, the stories you write are very wonderful, and you have conveyed a lot of happiness and warmth to me. I look forward to more wonderful stories you will bring us in the future, and we will always support and accompany you🥰💕.（Because the translation software is used to translate, so there may be errors in the sentence, sorry~🥺
Mar
Thanks for the hard work and the lovely content ☺️
MagicShop_06_13
Tysm 🥰
Yuki Mars
Wow. Thanks for sharing. Not an easy process. I enjoy your work.
chou
Congratulations on 10K patrons!! ♥♥
Thank you for sharing a part of your beautiful process ❤️
Meghan Matibag
I love your work. You were the very first that i decided to join patreon for. Take your time. You are an amazing creator.
Jo
Just want to say that I really appreciate all your time & effort and that I really love your work Jui! ❤️ Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!
Aria Eudaimond
i love your work my zines were literally so beautiful!! reading all this made me appreciate all you do even more take ur time ur an amazing creator 🤍
street witch
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Dev Louis
You’re one of the best creators I follow! Don’t ever feel like you are not sufficient in your craft because you are! When an audience can connect with your characters, that’s all you could hope for and how you know you’re a great artist!
Tatertot
Those of us that have been following you for a while have seen your talent and the beautiful stories you are able to craft. We are proud of you and thankful for the works you are able to produce. Please take your time without guilt or shame.
SVT!SKZ
Wow! Reading all of this made me appreciate your work even more. I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you and we appreciate your transparency and the amount of dedication that goes into every chapter you publish. Wishing you al the best as you continue doing what you love ❤️
Valeria Miceli
First things first: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The bureaucracy and times of publishing can discourage anyone, even making them lose self-confidence, so take all the time for your work: we are here with the ardent hearts of true fans! Maybe I've never told it (or maybe I have and I'm starting to repeat things like old aunts who only meet at holidays) but "Take Off" was love at first sight, love like those found in films with so much for a marriage proposal after 3 months of knowing each other, no even better: one afternoon I came across it by chance on one of the platforms I use to read webtoons... and I finished it immediately! A minute later I become Patreon, I collect merchandising and I read the newly released episodes at too early hours for someone who takes an hour to understand what she's called in the morning. And the most shocking thing is that it had never happened to me, certainly not at this speed. The characters are well constructed, they give you the chance to identify with them, to love them or hate them and yes they have HUGE narrative potential!
lou
we love u jui ❤️
chou
Great transparency & foresight!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗 I think what you're going is great bc like you said it's a critical moment both how you work & the story. The way I see it, this could have affected the whole storyline & make it spiral out of control; kinda like some manga series where there's that point of big change & no return. But here, you have that opportunity of flexibility to rewrite bc you are your own business/creator. I don't think I'll ever seen an author make use of this kind of opportunity so I think you're very brave and self-aware. Which I love and now super super happy to be supporting a great series & a great person. Lastly Happy Holidays & New Years Jui, you should also take a break!! ♥♥
Daria
❤️🫂
S.P.
Jui!!! First I just wanted to say hearing your process with all of this is absolutely amazing! Your dedication and thoughts and care that you put into this is why myself and I’m sure other people love this story! I remember first reading “Take Off,” on WEBTOONs and absolutely loving it! I then knew when I was eagerly awaiting for a new chapter I had to be your Patreon because I wanted more! Now, here we are and I just love to see your growth in all this and it results in such great content every-time you post! You honestly remind me of a friend of mine who is a writer too and just give me her vibes (simply through your writing and commentary!) This was a whole mish-mosh of a comment. But I basically say this all to say THANK YOU for your hard work and I look forward to what you put out next and for the rewrite!☺️ And I, as I would tell my friend too, make sure to get some rest too! Yes, you have duties here, but at the same time you need to rest! Happy Holidays
Katie
It might’ve sucked as you were working through your slump but it sounds like your changes will make it easier on future you since you won’t have to be doing the whole back and forth with the publisher. Don’t worry about changing stuff or taking longer than you anticipated on certain things because your work is worth waiting for and you’re doing a great job!
Love
Reading the unused chapter is similar to watching the clips from a movie that the director cut. Please don't feel embarrassed for changing direction. Life is like that sometimes.
Love
You should be proud of yourself! This was/is a critical moment in your professional growth as a writer. You took the time to learn copyright laws and reflect on your skills. Thank you for sharing your discovery and communicating your intentions. I look forward to reading what you create.
jui
Thank you💪❤️ I think I'm a little embarrassed that a good bunch of y'all have read what is now an "unused" chapter TT...!! That turning around and starting over is scary! But I've learnt a lot from it and I know it can only get better from here, thank you.
jui
I went into the permissions process very naive...! It makes more sense for, say, a novel to seek permissions with a completed manuscript, but an ongoing webcomic makes for a very tricky situation. That said, I'm super glad this happened and now it's something I know!! A smol part of me also thought I would never hear back because it's HarperCollins but the rep I've been speaking with has been incredibly kind and informative, and has taught me a lot about this process. Everything will find its own way, I guess!💪❤️
Jona Kiiski
Good that you had someone to talk things with. And going through your own past work and actually learning from it, we all stumble a bit, but art in every form is a process. Waiting to see the direction you go with the chapter and as always, take your time and do rest also<3
Professormac2025
Take your time and make sure you enjoy the process. You are such an amazing writer, we want to see you enjoy writing for many years to come. So however long you need to be happy with your creative process, don't worry, just take your time. Don't worry about anyone who tries to rush you. Just think of them as over eager and tell them to be patient. I adore your writing 🫶💋🫶💋🫶💋🫶
jui
Thank you❤️
Charliie Kreitzer
Take your time. It's good you could take that decision that is probably the best for your storytelling and comfort. You know by now that we seek an amazing story and an author that is proud of their work and not burned out rather than quick and less meaningful updates. ❤️❤️
Bonjour Kai
Thank you for sharing this, Jui. Sounds like you were so inspired by The Missing Piece and it's a shame that referencing other works in your own isn't as straightforward as you'd have hoped. I really appreciate reading your process and reflections on this, and I have no doubt you'll find a different way to continue telling Nathan and Andrew's story. Thank you for your brilliant work and thoughtfulness as always ❤️
Kiki
It's okay! You have to do a lot of work and if you hit a dead end you need to turn around and sometimes start over! And what you said about the whole process and the permission and how everything could play out... I'm glad that you made the decision so early on before you came around a corner where you couldn't go further. Take a breath, collect yourself and take all the time you need💜
I understand, honestly writing a story is tiring especially when you get writers block. To add in drawing each scene, that takes a lot of time and energy. Take your time, try to relax a bit and unwind. You have a fandom that’s got your back and we’ll be here when you get back on your feet.
